MAJOR  GEN.  BURBANK 

An  Early  Paper  Maker* 

By  JOHN  C  CRANE. 

From  the  Proceedings  of  the  Worcester  Society  of  Antiqtiity,  1895. 


Worcester,  Mass.: 

F.  S.  Blanchard  &  Co.,  34  Front  St. 

1896. 


^^' 


MAJOR    GEN.    CALEB    BURBANK. 


MAJOR  GEN.  BURBANK,  AN  EARLY  PAPER  MAKER. 
John  C.  Crane. 

John  Burbaxk  of  Rowley,  Mass.,  was  the  first  ancestor  of  our 
subject  in  this  country,  comnig  to  that  place  at  an  early  day  and 
being  made  a  Freeman  in  1640.  Among  his  children  we  find 
Caleb  of  Newbury.  Bradford,  Fitchburg,  Holliston,  Newbury, 
Rowley,  Springfield,  Weston  and  other  places  have  furnished  a 
long  list  of  descendants,  who  have  made  for  themselves  names 
prominent  in   the   civil,  the   military  and    the    religious    world. 

Ebenezer  Burbank  of  Weston,  in  the  Colonial  service  in  1765, 
carried  a  flint-lock  musket  and  two  engraved  powder-horns,  which 
are  still  in  existence  and  are  highly  prized  by  his  descendants. 

Samuel  Burbank  of  Holliston,  born  at  Wobum,  Mass.,  was  a 
lieutenant  at  Bunker  Hill,  and  afterwards  commanded  a  company 
in  Rhode  Island  under  Gen.  Sullivan. 

Sullivan  Burbank,  son  of  Samuel,  was  in  the  war  of  181 2,  and 
later  was  stationed  at  Fort  Snelling,  Minn.  His  record  in  the 
service  is  a  long  and  honorable  one. 

There  is  before  me,  as  I  write,  an  old  account  book.  As  I  turn 
its  leaves  to  the  light,  I  behold  the  water-mark,  "C.  Burbank, 
1804."  Let  us  look  up  a  little  this  Burbank  family  of  Millbury 
and  ancient  Sutton.  Its  first  representative  here  was  Abijah,  of 
old  Newbury,  and  son  of  Caleb  of  that  town.  Just  when  he  came 
to  Sutton  I  will  not  undertake  to  say,  but  he  was  there  in  1761, 
when  the  records  show  the  subject  of  this  sketch  to  have  been 
born.  I  have  in  my  possession  the  high-chair  in  which  the  chil- 
dren of  Abijah  Burbank  sat  as  they  came  in  the  order  of  their 
birth.  Supposing  it  to  have  been  new  when  his  first  child,  Caleb, 
was  born,  it  is  now  134  years  old.  Abijah  Burbank  settled  on 
what  is  known  as  Burbank  hill  at  Bramanville,  one  of  the  beauti- 
ful elevations  in   the  now  town  of  Millbury. 

In  response  to  the  request  of  a  county  convention,  he  began  in  a 
small  way,  in  1776,  the  manufacture  of  paper  at  Sutton.  The  village 
about  was  for   some  years  after  known  as  Burbankville,  but  now 


2  Proceedings. 

Bramanville,  Millbury.  This  was  on  what  is  now  known  as  Sin- 
gletary  brook,  in  olden  time  often  called  Burbank  river.  There  is 
at  Worcester  a  piece  of  paper  found  at  Millbury  which  bears  the 
water-mark  "A.  B.,"  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  made  by  the 
elder  Burbank.  It  has  been  a  matter  of  conjecture  where  Abijah 
Burbank  obtained  his  knowledge  of  paper-making.  It  is  fair  to 
presume  that  the  art,  crude  though  it  may  have  been,  was  learned 
by  him  in  the  old  mill  at  Milton,  the  one  first  established  in  New 
England  by  act  of  General  Court  in  1728.  At  the  latter  mill 
Stephen  Crane,  Jr.,  a  brother  of  Zenas  Crane,  the  pioneer  paper- 
maker  of  Berkshire  county,  also  learned  the  business.  Upon  be- 
coming proficient  at  it,  Stephen  Crane,  Jr.,  established  a  mill  at 
Newton  Lower  Falls,  where  his  brother,  Zenas,  was  to  later  first 
try  his  hand  at  the  trade.  Having  acquired  some  knowledge  of 
the  business,  we  next  hear  of  Zenas  being  in  the  employ  of  Gen. 
Burbank,  at  Worcester,  at  the  old  mill  of  Isaiah  Thomas. 

The  first  year  of  the  present  century  found  Zenas  Crane  at  Dal- 
ton,  Mass.,  establishing  the  manufacture  of  paper  there,  which 
business  still  continues  in  the  family.  For  seven  years  Abijah 
Burbank  continued  the  industry  at  Sutton,  initiating  his  sons, 
Caleb  and  Elijah,  into  its  mysteries,  when  the  business  passed 
into  their  hands.  In  1780  the  General  Court  called  upon  Sutton 
to  furnish  thirty-one  men  for  the  army,  and  Capt.  Abijah  Burbank 
was  of  the  Town  Committee  to  procure  the  same.  He  is  supposed 
to  have  held  a  commission  in  the  Colonial  service,  although  his 
name  does  not  appear  in  the  list  published.  In  1781,  with  Col. 
Jonathan  Holman,  he  was  on  the  Board  of  Selectmen.  In  1 783, 
the  closing  year  of  the  Revolution,  he  sold,  as  before  stated,  his 
interest  in  the  paper  mill. 

Of  the  next  thirty  years  of  his  hfe  we  learn  but  little,  but  they 
are  supposed  to  have  been  passed  in  the  quiet  and  peaceful  pur- 
suit of  agriculture.  In  1813,  the  natal  year  of  Millbury,  his  Hfe 
work  ended.  Just  outside  the  town  in  the  old  Country  Bridge 
burying-ground,  surrounded  by  possibly  a  score  of  the  patriots  of 
1775,  ^^  waits  the  resurrection  morn.  A  huge  slab  of  slatestone 
at  his  grave  reads  as  follows  : 


Major   Gen.    Caleb  Burbank.  3 

CAPT.  ABIJAH  BURBANK. 
Died  1813,  Aged  77, 

The  Massachusetts  Spy  used  the  paper  made  at  the  Sutton  mill 
for  some  years,  and  at  times  found  it  hard  to  secure  enough  of  it. 
One  kind  of  paper  was  here  made  called  Pott- paper,  a  heavy, 
coarse  article,  yet  it  found  a  ready  sale.  Some  of  it  was  made 
up  in  form  something  like  the  writing  books  used  in  our  day,  and 
the  covers  bore  pictures  that  no  doubt  delighted  the  eyes  of  our 
fathers  and  mothers. 

The  following  was  found  on  a  leaf  from  an  old  account  book 
in  Millbury  : 

Sutton,  June  2j,  1804. 

CALEB  BURBANK,  Cr. 

By  2  Reams  Paper,  $2.00 

"   I        "       Pott,  2.66 

Dr.  to  2  3-4  cut  Rags,  at  5.00,     S13.75. 

The  additional  accounts,  from  the  same  source,  mention  names 
not  unknown  in  local  history. 


June  2J,  1804. 
CAPT.  JOHN  SIBLEY,  Dr. 
Two  Gills  W.  L  Rum,  09 

June  2 J,  1804. 
GEN'L  JONATHAN  DAVIS,  Dr. 

To  5  1-4  gall.  W.  I.  Rum,  $5.20. 

The  next  account  was  that  of  the  father  of  Thomas  Blanchard, 
of  eccentric  lathe  fame. 


4  Proceedings. 

Sutton,  June  27,  1804.. 
SAMUEL  BLANC  HARD,  Dr. 

2  qts.  Rum,  .30 

2    "    Molasses,  .20 

I  Whetstone,  .10 

The  latter,  probably,  to  sharpen  his  appetite  with. 

Gen.  Burbank  was  a  man  generous  to  a  fault.  In  1S12  the 
house  of  Stephen  Blanchard  at  West  Millbury  was  burned.  While 
viewing  the  ruins  the  day  following,  the  General  came  upon  Mr. 
Blanchard,  and,  after  expressing  sympathy  for  him,  presented  him 
with  ;?i,ooo  to  help  rebuild.  Millbury  received  her  name  from 
the  General,  and  his  was  signed  to  the  petition  calling  the  first 
meeting  of  its  inhabitants. 

In  1815  a  man  not  unknown  to  fame,  Thomas  Blanchard, 
served  Millbury  as  one  of  her  field-drivers,  and  a  year  later  Gen. 
Burbank  wielded  the  long-pole  as  one  of  her  tithingmen,  being 
succeeded  in  181 7  by  John  Brewer  Blanchard,  a  brother  of  the 
great  inventor. 

Caleb  Burbank  early  imbibed  the  military  spirit,  and  from  an 
humble  position  rose  to  be  major  general  of  the  state  militia. 
His  record,  furnished  me  by  the  courtesy  of  Representative  Crane, 
is  as  follows : 

Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  Adjutant  General's  Office. 

Boston,  April  18,  i8gs. 
Ellerv  B.  Crane,  Esq., 

House  of  Representatives  : 
Sir  : — In  reply  to  your  verbal  inquiry  of  this  date,  you  are  in- 
formed that  the  records  of  this  office  show  as  follows  in  the  case 
of  Caleb  Burbank  : 

5th  Regiment,  ist  Brigade,  7th  Division. 

Caleb  Burbank  of  Sutton  was  commissioned  lieutenant  Aug. 
25,  1790;  promoted  captain.  May  26,  1794;  major,  May  24, 
1797  ;  lieutenant-colonel  commandant,  .April  13,  1801  ;  brigadier 
general,  April  15,  1807;  major  general  7th  Division,  June  15, 
1813;  removed  by  court  martial  and  cashiered,  Oct.  21,  1818. 
Respectfully, 

SAMUEL  DALTON, 

Adjutant  General, 


Major   Gen.    Caleb  Bur  bank.  5 

In  181 S  charges  were  preferred  against  Gen.  Burbank  to  His 
Excellency  John  Brooks,  Governor  and  Commander-in-Chief. 
The  charges  were  neglect  of  duty  and  unmilitary  conduct.  To 
the  charge  "neglect  of  duty,"  there  were  two  specifications, 
and  on  the  charge  of  "unmilitary  conduct,"  there  were  five. 

The  Massachusetts  Spy  of  August,  1818,  said  : 

MILITARY. 

We  understand  that  the  court  of  inquiry  lately  held  at 
Worcester,  of  which  Maj.  Gen.  Crane  was  President,  on  charges 
against  Maj.  Gen.  Burbank,  of  the  7th  Division,  and  Col. 
Burbank,  his  Division  Inspector,  have  reported  in  favor  of  a 
court  martial,  which,  we  learn,  is  to  be  held  at  Worcester  on  the 
8th  of  September,  and  of  which  Maj.  Gen.  Goodwin  is  ap- 
pointed President. 

The  trial,  which  was  held  in  Worcester,  lasting  fourteen  days, 
resulted  in  the  foUoAving  as  the  judgment  of  the  court : 

The  court  having  heard  and  considered  the  evidence  which 
has  been  adduced,  both  for  and  against  Maj.  Gen.  Burbank,  and 
what  he  has  offered  in  his  defense,  are  of  opinion  and  decide 
that,  as  to  the  second  specification  of  the  charge  "  for  neglect  of 
duty,"  and  the  second  specification  of  the  charge  for  "  unmilitary 
conduct,"  the  Major  General  was  not  holden  to  answer.  That  of  the 
first  and  fourth  specifications  of  the  charge  for  "  unmilitary  con- 
duct," and  of  the  third  additional  specification  of  the  same 
charge.  Major  General  Burbank  is  not  guilty  ;  that  of  the  first 
specification  of  the  charge  for  "  neglect  of  duty,"  of  the  third 
and  fifth  specifications  of  the  charge  for  "unmilitary  conduct,"  of 
the  first,  second  and  fourth  additional  specifications  of  the  same 
charge,  and  of  the  specification  of  the  charge  for  "  unmilitary 
conduct,"  and  of  oppression  of  his  inferior  officers,  as  stated  in 
the  complaint  of  Capt.  Ezra  Nelson,  Major  General  Burbank  is 
guilty. 

The  defendant  made  an  extended  and  spirited  defense,  but  was, 
notwithstanding,  cashiered  and  removed  from  the  service.  He 
later  put  forth  a  pamphlet  of  sixty  pages  endeavoring  to  justify  his 
mihtary  conduct.     The  title  page  read  as  follows  : 


5  Proceedings. 

"DEFENCE  OF 
MAJOR    GENERAL    CALEB    BURBANK, 

AND 

The  Argument  of  the  Complainants, 

BEFORE 

The  General  Court- Martial,  whereof  Maj.  Gen.  Nathaniel 

Goodwin    was    President,   held  at  Worcester 

on  the  8th  day  of  September,  1818, 

AGAINST 

Charges  Preferred  against  him 

HV 

Col.    Prentice    Cushinc;   and    Others." 


Worcester: 

Printed  by  William  Manning, 

January,  1S19. 


In  the  introduction  to  his  pamphlet  the  General  said  : 

The  surprise  created  by  the  extraordinary  result  of  the  trial 
of  Major  General  Burbank  has  awakened  a  strong  desire  in  many 
to  see  some  account  of  it  laid  before  the  public.  *  *  *  * 
It  is  but  justice  to  declare  that  the  enemies  of  General  Bur- 
bank  had  long  industriously  sought  after  matter  of  accusation 
against  him,  and  had  been  forward,  on  all  occasions,    to    misrep- 


Major   Gen.    Caleb  Bur  bank.  7 

resent  his  conduct  and  calumnate  his  character.  *  *  *  * 
That  the  General  has  been  grossly  abused  and  misrepresented,  is 
a  fact  so  notorious  in  his  division  that  it  is  difificult  to  find  an 
impartial  man  who  does  not  censure  the  conduct  of  those  who 
have  done  it.  That  he  took  no  measures  to  counteract  the  effect 
produced,  is  a  fact  equally  notorious.  That  the  design  of  mis- 
representing his  conduct  and  character  was  to  mislead  public 
opinion,  and  create  unfavorable  impressions  in  the  minds  of 
the  court  by  encouraging  a  belief  that  he  was  at  variance  with 
the  officers  of  the  division,  and  that  harmony  could  not  be  re- 
stored, except  by  his  removal, — is  also  an  undeniable  truth.  How 
far  this,  though  false  in  point  of  fact,  has  produced  the  effect  de- 
signed, the  public  will  judge  after  examining  the  complaints, 
the  evidence  adduced  in  support  thereof,  and  the  defense 
to  the  same.  It  is  not  the  design  of  the  General  to  im- 
peach the  motives  of  the  court,  for,  however  erroneous 
their  decision,  he  does  them  the  justice  to  say  he  be- 
lieves their  intentions  were  upright.  He  has,  however,  deemed 
it  an  act  of  justice  due  to  himself  to  lay  before  a  candid  public 
the  foregoing  facts,  as  connected  with  the  issue  of  his  trial,  that 
the  public,  with  whom  he  is  willing  to  entrust  his  character  and 
reputation,  may  decide  whether  he  has  not  been  treated  with  too 
much  severity.  If  he  were  alone  in  the  opinion  that  such  is  the 
fact,  he  might  distrust  his  own  judgment,  but  he  does  not  hesitate 
to  say  that  the  sentiments  of  a  great  number  of  highly  respecta- 
ble and  intelligent  men  concur  with  his. 

The  General  thus  closes  his  pamphlet : 

The  defendant  will,  with  a  few  additional  observations,  take 
his  leave  of  the  reader. 

He  hopes,  in  estimating  his  character,  broad  assertions, 
couched  in  the  most  harsh,  ungentlemanly  language,  will  not  be 
mistaken  for  proof  of  guilt.  Indeed,  he  cannot  persuade  him- 
self that  any  facts  disclosed  on  the  trial  can  by  possibility  fix  on 
him  the  imputation  of  "  meanness,  baseness,  or  a  disregard  of  the 
rights  of  others."  *  *  *  *  Indeed,  is  it  not  manifest 
when,  in  the  execution  of  duty,  a  doubtful  question  arises  that 
an  officer  can  do  nothing  more  than  decide  it  according  to  his 
own  conviction,  or  call  to  his  aid  the  counsel  and  advice  of  emi- 
nent men,  and  adopt  their  opinions,  if  not  repugnant  to  his  own 
judgment?  He  must  on  such  occasions  act  judiciously,  and  if 
his  motives  are  pure,  he  is  no  more  responsible  for  the  correct- 
ness of  his  decision  than  the  Judges   of  the    Common    Pleas   are 


8  Proceedings. 

for  such  judgments  as  are  reversed  or  overruled  by  the  Supreme 
Court.  It  is,  however,  for  an  alleged  offense  of  this  description 
that  the  defendant  has  been  removed  from  office,  and  the  pub- 
lic will  judge  whether  he  has  not  cause  to  complain  of  unreasona- 
ble severity.  The  court  could  not  have  been  blind  to  these 
considerations,  and  must  therefore  have  been  influenced  to  de- 
cide in  the  manner  they  have,  from  causes  already  mentioned. 
The  complainants  demanded  "a  striking  example  of  punishment,'' 
to  correct  the  disorders  themselves  had  created,  and  the  de- 
fendant has  been  sacrificed  to  atone  for  their  misdeeds. 

Much  sympathy  was  expressed  for  him  at  his  removal  from 
office,  and  later  measures  were  put  on  foot  by  his  friends  to  have 
him  reinstated.  Many  who  at  first  were  found  to  be  against 
him,  acknowledged  the  punishment  he  received  to  be  too  severe, 
and  thought  his  mistakes,  if  any,  did  not  warrant  such  harsh 
measures.  For  some  reason  or  other,  the  attempt  at  reinstate- 
ment was  abandoned,  and  to  the  last.  General  Burbank  felt  great 
injustice  had  been  done  him.  Notwithstanding  all  this,  the  Gen- 
eral in  1819  was  honored  by  his  fellow  citizens  of  Millbury  with 
a  seat  in  the  Great  and  General  Court,  and  the  same  year  headed 
the  Hst  of  jurors. 

Up  to  1820,  the  two  long  sermons  of  Priest  Goffe  were 
preached  at  the  church  on  the  old  Common,  in  an  atmosphere 
which  in  winter  was  chilling  indeed,  the  edifice  being  heated  only 
by  the  foot-stoves  brought  by  the  worshipers.  This  year,  1820, 
the  General  with  others  were  a  committee  to  provide  for  a  stove 
or  stoves,  "  provided  the  same  are  procured  by  subscription." 
This  was  the  vote  passed  by  the  town,  and  the  committee  were 
chosen  by  the  town  also.  At  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  which  the  church 
stood  was  the  distillery  of  Dr.  Braman,  and  tradition  has  it  that 
some  of  the  brethren  warmed  up  there  a  little  at  the  noon  inter- 
mission. July  5,  1824,  occurred  a  union  celebration  of  Inde- 
pendence day  at  Sutton,  and  the  address  was  given  by  Rev.  L. 
Ives  Hoadley,  pastor  of  the  Calvinist  Church,  Worcester.  Caleb 
Burbank  was  Chairman  of  the  committee  to  acknowledge  the 
favor,  and  the  following  letter  shows  how  the  orator  was  appre- 
ciated : 


Major  Gen.    Caleb  Burbank.  9 

Worcester,  yiily  6,  1824.. 

Sir: 

The  undersigned  perform  a  service  very  grateful  to  their  own 
feelings  when,  as  a  committee  for  that  purpose,  they  present  you 
the  thanks  of  the  citizens  who  assembled  at  Sutton  on  the  5  th 
inst.  to  commemorate  the  birthday  of  the  American  republic,  for 
the  appropriate  and  excellent  address  delivered  on  that  occasion, 
and  request  a  copy  for  the  press. 

Caleb   Burbank, 
Jonathan  Going, 
Daniel  Waldo. 
Rev.  L.  Ives  Hoadley 

It  was  later  published  in  a  small  pamphlet,  but  probably  few 
copies  are  now  extant. 

Old  residents,  now  passed  away,  have  described  to  me  the 
appearance  of  Gen.  Burbank  as  he  often  rode  horseback  over  the 
old  bridle-path  from  the  outlet  of  Singletary  lake  to  and 
from  his  paper  mill  at  Bramanville.  His  was  a  familar  figure  on 
this  route,  and  fond  he  was  of  the  exercise.  He  loved  a  fine 
turnout,  and  he  had  it  too.  His  style  was  a  little  "  English,  you 
know,"  and  he  loved  the  distinction  which  his  military  title  had 
given  him.  But  his  pride  was  pardonable  in  the  minds  of  his 
fellow  citizens,  for  his  heart  was  warm  with  good  feeling  toward 
all.  The  General,  when  in  the  service,  gloried  in  fine  military 
trappings,  and  drew  satisfaction  from  their  frequent  display.  His 
orders  during  the  second  conflict  with  the  mother  country  were 
dated  "  Headquarters,  Millbury,"  with  all  the  pomp  and  precision 
of  a  commander  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  were  to  be  obeyed  to 
the  letter.  A  man  of  mild  and  gentle  temperament,  yet  he  is  said 
to  have  been  a  strict  master  to  those  employed  by  him.  Business 
was  business ;  that  and  that  only  was  to  be  attended  to  during 
working  hours.  His  mansion  house,  which  stood  on  Burbank 
hill,  overlooking  a  large  part  of  the  town,  was  a  fine  structure  for 
those  days,  and  many  distinguished  men  there  enjoyed  the  Gen- 
eral's hospitality.  The  old  building  is  still  standing  near  the  old 
location,  having  received  some  slight   modifications.     Scattered 


I  o  Proceedings. 

here  and  there  the  region  about,  may  still  be  seen  some  of  the 
now  highly-prized  blue  ware  and  china  that  once  decorated  the 
General's  table,  before  the  iron  horse  displaced  the  raging  canawl 
or  the  stomach  of  the  Blackstone  heaved  and  rebelled  at  the 
noxious  dose  prescribed  for  it. 

A  few  hundred  rods  from  his  residence  was  Wigwam  hill,  strewn 
with  relics  and  fragments  of  Indian  handicraft,  and  where  the 
Nipmuck  of  early  times  watched  his  pale  brother  in  seed-time  and 
harvest.  In  full  strength  of  manhood  Gen.  Burbank  witnessed 
the  birth  of  Millbury  and  christened  her  for  all  time.  Her  inter- 
ests were  his,  and  the  universal  testimony  of  his  contemporaries 
who  survived  him  attested  the  truth  of  this  declaration.  In  the 
days  of  long  ago,  when  the  old  Common  was  in  the  flush  of  her 
glory,  and  her  training  ground  resounded  with  the  tread  of  armed 
men,  the  glorious  Fourth  of  July  was  there  celebrated  with  vigor. 
On  one  of  these  occasions  Gen.  Burbank  was  called  upon  for  a 
toast.  The  punch  bowl  having  been  freely  used,  as  was  the 
custom  in  those  days,  the  General  forgot  the  fact  that  he  was  still 
in  the  flesh,  and  also  that  he  was  not  in  the  Revolutionary  war, 
and  responded  with  the  following  : 

"  Here's  to  the  heroes  of  the  Revolution,  who  fought,  bled  and 
died  for  liberty,  and,  thank  God,  I  was  one  of  'em." 

On  the  occasion  of  another  celebration  at  the  same  place,  a 
balloon  ascension  was  on  the  programme.  This  was  during  the 
anti-Mason  excitement,  and  the  General  being  opposed  to  the 
brethren  of  the  square  and  compass,  brought  the  matter  up  in 
and  out  of  season.  As  the  air-ship  gracefully  rose  into  the  air, 
Gen.  Burbank  swung  his  hat  and  exclaimed,  "Anti- Masonry  is 
arising,  is  arising,"  and  as  the  word  "is  "  was  spoken  for  the  third 
time,  the  balloon  exploded  and  the  General  finished  with  "  is 
busted." 

This  paper  makes  no  pretension  in  any  way  to  be  a  history  of 
paper-making  at  Millbury  or  elsewhere.  It  is  merely  an  attempt 
to  gather  up  scattered  fragments  relating  to  one  who  in  his  day 
was  a  pioneer  in  the  art, — a  factor  in  the  making  of  that 
material  on  which  such  illustrious  men  as  Franklin,  Thomas  and 


Major   Gen.    Caleb  Burbank.  i  r 

others  have  stamped  and  given  to  the  world  the  thought  of  noble 
minds. 

Mr.  E.  B.  Crane  of  Worcester  has  given  to  this  society,  and 
through  it  to  the  country  at  large,  a  valuable  contribution  on 
paper-making  in  Worcester  county.  The  historic  value  of  his 
production  is  great,  and  portions  of  it  have  been  widely  copied. 
I  have  been  informed  by  him  that  some  paper  has  recently  been 
brought  to  light  made  at  the  Thomas  mill,  Worcester,  in  the  last 
century,  which  compares  quite  favorably  with  that  of  the  present 
day.  Of  our  subject  Mr.  Crane  says,  in  his  paper  on  "  Early 
Paper  Mills  in  Massachusetts  :  " 

"  For  some  time  Gen.  Burbank  lived  to  enjoy  with  his  numerous 
friends  the  fruits  of  his  success  and  prosperity  as  a  business  man, 
and  for  more  than  half  a  century  he  continued  the  manufacture 
of  paper  in  this  mill.  He  also  published  various  books  used  at 
that  time  in  the  schools,  together  with  hymn  and  tune  books." 

A  short  time  ago  I  found  one  of  these  books  at  Sutton,  the  title 
page  of  which  reads  as  follows  : 

"THE  PSALMS   OF  DAVID, 

Imitated  in  the  Language  of  the  New  Testament,  and    applied 
to  the  Christian  State  and  Worship, 

By  ISAAC  WATTS,  D.  D." 


Sutton  (Mass.)  : 

Printed  by  SEW  ALL   GOODRIDGE 

For  Caleb  Burbank. 

Sold  by  him  at  Wholesale  and  Retail, 

iSoS. 


1 2  Proceedings. 

I  have  also  seen  books  bearing  the  name  of  Elijah  Burbank  as 
the  publisher. 

A  great  misfortune  came  to  General  Burbank  at  being  cashiered 
as  a  military  officer  of  the  state.  Sixteen  years  after  came  a  cul- 
mination in  his  financial  affairs,  after  long  years  of  prosperity. 
On  Jan.  22,  1834,  the  following  was  promulgated  : 

ASSIGNEE'S  NOTICE. 

Notice  is  hereby  given  that  Caleb  Burbank  of  Millbury,  by 
deed  of  indenture,  dated  the  iSth  inst.,  assigned  all  his  real  and 
personal  property,  including  his  book  accounts,  to  the  subscribers 
for  the  benefit  of  his  creditors.  Any  creditor  of  the  said  Burbank, 
named  in  said  assignment,  who  shall  express  his  assent  in  writing 
to  said  assignment,  within  thirty  days  from  the  date  thereof,  will 
become  entitled  to  the  benefit  of  its  provisions. 

Amasa  Wood, 
John  Jacobs, 
Abraham  G.  Randall. 

Later  appeared  the  following  : 

By  consent  of  parties,  will  be  sold  at  Gen.  Burbank's  mill,  on 
14th  of  May,  1834,  3  mules,  12  spinning  frames,  30  power  looms, 
12  breakers,  10  finishing  cards,  2  belted  and  2  Taunton  speeders, 
and  all  other  machinery  in  the  cotton  factory.  Also  a  large  lot 
of  various  kinds  of  paper  and  other  articles  in  the  paper  mill, 
farming  tools,  etc. 

Billings  Hobart, 

Deputy  Sheriff. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  the  end  of  the  General's  long  con- 
tinued prosperity.  The  evil  day  had  come  at  last  as  the  result 
of  attempts  to  uphold  his  brother  Elijah.  By  this  vicissitude  of 
fortune,  Caleb  Burbank  lost  all  but  honor,  and  went  down  to  rise 
no  more  as  a  business  man  of  Millbury. 

The  sympathy,  after  his  fall  was  fully  completed,  extended  to 
all  classes,  as  they  realized  that  poverty  was  at  last  the  heritage  of 
him  who  had  done  so  much  for  Millbury  in  the  days  of  his  pros- 
perity. 


Major   Ge7i.    Caleb  Burbank.  13 

One  of  the  original  proprietors  of  Sutton  was  Nathaniel  Waters 
of  Salem,  and  his  grandson,  Asa,  was  the  proprietor  of  the  first 
armory  and  the  first  powder  mill  in  the  county,  both  built  in  that 
town.  For  his  first  wife,  Gen.  Burbank  married  Lucy,  the 
daughter  of  the  above  Asa,  she  being  born  at  Sutton  in  1765 
She  dying  in  1823,  he  married,  second,  Hannah,  daughter  oi 
David  Smith  of  Rutland,  Mass.    He  left  no  descendants. 

In  the  Second  Parish  burying-ground  at  West  Millbury,  he  rests 
at  the  right  of  his  two  consorts, — life's  battle  over.  Around  lie 
representatives  of  the  early  families  of  the  Sutton  of  other  times. 
A  modest  marble  slab  bears  this  inscription  : 

MAJOR  GENERAL  CALEB  BURBANK, 

Died  December  9,  1849, 

Aged  88  years. 

Through  the  kindness  of  Mrs.  Dr.  Leonard  Spaulding,  I  came  in 
possession  of  the  old  arm  rocking-chair  used  by  General  Burbank 
in  the  closing  days  of  his  life.  It  is  low  seated,  with  a  high  spin- 
dle back,  the  arms  highly  polished  from  service.  It  is  valued  as 
a  relic  of  one  who  had  much  to  do  in  making  Millbury  a  place 
of  historic  interest,  and  who  during  his  long  and  useful  life  mani- 
fested a  deep  concern  as  to  what  her  future  should  be.  To  the 
end  that  she  might  progress  in  all  things  right,  while  fortune 
smiled  he  gave  liberally  to  every  enterprise  tending  to  her  up- 
building. In  1808  Gen.  Leonard  Burbank  was  the  owner  of  a 
mill  at  Fitchburg,  which  was  for  many  years  known  as  the  Bur- 
bank paper  mill.  Leonard  was  a  son  of  Elijah  Burbank,  who 
was  a  brother  of  Gen.  Caleb,  and  early  in  the  business  of  paper- 
making  at  Worcester  as  well  as  at  Sutton.  Gardner  S.  Burbank, 
whose  name  was  for  many  years  associated  with  that  of  his  uncle, 
Gen.  Caleb,  removed  from  the  town  of  Russell  to  Fitchburg  in 
1 85 1,  the  outcome  of  which  event  was  the  firm  of  Crocker,  Bur- 
bank &  Co.,  thus  perpetuating  the  family  name  as  paper-makers. 
Gardner    was   a    native    of  Montpelier,    Vt.,    and    son    of  Silas 


1 4  Proceedings. 

•and  grandson  of  Abijah  Burbank,  the  founder  of  the  paper-mak- 
ing industry  at  Sutton.  After  a  life  full  of  usefulness,  Mr.  Bur- 
bank  died  at  Fitchburg  in  1888,  leaving  as  a  lasting  monument  to 
his  name  a  munificent  fund  for  a  hospital  for  the  poor  and  un- 
fortunate, without  regard  to  race  or  color.  A  few  feet  from  the 
last  resting-place  of  Gen.  Burbank  at  West  Millbury,  lie  the  re- 
mains of  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  being  in  life  no  less  a  person- 
age than  Peter  Willard,  a  colored  man,  whose  portrait,  by  Jere- 
miah Stiles,  may  be  found  in  the  custody  of  this  Society.  The 
following  document  gives  the  facts  as  regards  the  death  of 
Peter : 

To  THE  Hon.  Nathaniel  Paine,  Judge    of    Probate    for    the 
County  of  Worcester  : 

Humbly  shows  that  whereas  Peter  Willard,  late  resident  in 
Worcester,  being  a  state  pauper,  having  fallen  sick  in  Millbury  and 
died  there,  having  fallen  under  the  care  of  the  Selectmen  of  the 
said  town  of  Millbury,  and  incurred  some  expense,  we  therefore 
Tequest  your  honor,  if  you  see  fit,  to  grant  a  letter  of  administra- 
tion to  John  Jacobs  of  said  Millbury,  whereby  he  may  be  enabled 
to  draw  a  pension,  which  appears  to  have  been  due  to  said  Peter 
previous  to  his  death,  in  order  that  said  Selectmen  may  thereby 
defray  the  above  state  expenses  occasioned  by  the  death  of  this 
-state  pauper. 

Caleb  Burbank, 
Millbury,  Rufus  Barton, 

May  3,  18 19.  Hartwell  Hayward. 

Letters  of  administration  were  granted  as  requested,  and  the 
amount  received  was  used  to  pay  the  expenses  incurred  by  the 
sickness  and  death  of  the  dusky  patriot,  but  until  May  last  no 
stone  was  raised  to  tell  his  "  name  or  station,  age  or  race." 

The  General  and  his  cotemporaries  have  passed  away — the 
old  paper  mill  is  a  thing  of  the  past.  On  its  site  the  mills  of 
Lapham  with  clattering  looms  furnish  the  means  of  subsistence  to 
hundreds  of  men  and  women.  Here  for  a  hundred  and  twenty 
years  the  waters  of  Singletary  have  sent  the  mill  wheels  round  and 
round.  The  hill  of  Burbank  towers  as  of  yore,  overlooking  this 
scene  of  industry.     The   gray   frowning  rocks   of  Wigwam    rear 


Major  Gen.    Caleb  Burbank.  15 

themselves  now  as  in  the  past,  but  the  men  and  women  of  Bur- 
bank's  day  have  tried  the  great  unknown.  The  bridge  of  Cow- 
ing near  the  junction  of  Burbank's  river  and  that  of  Blackstone  is 
tottering  to  its  fall.  High  above  a  mammoth  structure  of  iron 
replaces  that  of  early-time.  Across,  speeded  with  lightning,  rush 
the  cars,  whose  destination  in  Millbury  ends  at  Burbank  square. 
The  progress  of  Millbury  has  been  slow,  with  many  discourage- 
ments, but  something  has  been  gained,  something  won.  Another 
generation  has  come,  and  other  men  occupy  her  business  fields. 
The  soil  of  Millbury  by  the  blessing  of  God  yet  giveth  increase, 
and  the  tillers  of  our  domain  make  true  the  words  of  our  own 
loved  poet  Whittier : 

And  now,  with  autumn's  moonlit  eves, 

Its  harvest  time  has  come; 
We  pluck  away  the  frosted  leaves, 

And  bear  the  treasure  home. 

There,  richer  than  the  fabled  gift, 

Apollo  showered  of  old; 
Fair  hands  the  broken  grains  shall  sift. 

And  knead  its  meal  of  gold. 

Let  earth  withhold  her  goodly  root, 

Let  mildew  blight  the  rye. 
Give  to  the  worm  the  orchard's  fruit, 

The  wheat-field  to  the  fly. 

But  let  the  good  old  crop  adorn 

The  hills  our  fathers  trod; 
Still  let  us,  for  his  golden  corn, 

Send  up  our  thanks  to  God ! 


nsi^h 


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